Malaghan Institute unravels mysteries of allergic response

Researchers at the
Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington are a
step closer to unravelling some of the mysteries surrounding
what triggers an allergic response.

Research headed by
Professor Franca Ronchese and now published in the
Journal of Immunology, concludes that allergies
change the properties of a certain type of dendritic cell
found in the skin. It’s the dendritic cell that then tells
the immune system how to respond.

“This study is
significant because, while we know a lot about the symptoms
of allergies, comparatively little is understood about the
detail of what starts an allergic response,” says Doctor
Lisa Connor, Research Fellow at the Malaghan Institute’s
Immune Cell Biology Programme.

“This research is
exciting news for the Malaghan Institute. Years of research
around the world demonstrate that dendritic cells play a key
role in the immune system owing to their ability to control
both immune tolerance and immunity. The ultimate goal of a
team of researchers at the Institute is to use these new
discoveries to develop ways of generating therapeutic
immunotherapies against allergies. In essence, Malaghan
Institute researchers are seeking an “off switch” for
allergic responses.”

Whilst the progress reported in the
paper fills a gap in our knowledge, many challenges remain.
For many diseases, including allergies, key pieces of the
immune pathways remain unclear. It is now recognised that
there is a progression of disease; children with dermatitis
are more likely to develop food allergies, followed by
respiratory allergies such as asthma and hay fever. This
progression is called the ‘allergic march’. It is
thought that by inhibiting the early development of allergic
diseases the likelihood of more severe forms occurring later
in life should decrease.

The research focused on the skin,
so next steps will include looking at dendritic cells in the
gut and lungs; as well as developing a detailed inventory of
their characteristics and behaviour.

Allergies are very
common and affect about one in three New Zealanders at some
time in their lives. The incidence of allergic diseases has
increased significantly over the last two and a half
decades, and is regarded to be a global epidemic.

This
study was supported by the Health Research Council of New
Zealand.

About
the Malaghan Institute of Medical ResearchThe
Malaghan Institute of Medical Research is New Zealand’s
leading vaccine and immunology research institute and is
based at Victoria University of Wellington’s Kelburn
campus. The Institute operates independently and is a
charitable trust. Researchers at the Malaghan Institute are
focused on developing innovative ways to harness the
strength and potency of the immune system, the body’s own
natural defence against disease, to treat cancer, asthma and
allergy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and infectious
disease.

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